Already one of the best defenders in the class of ‘28, Stella wore the libero jersey with pride as Circle’s top 16s squad marched to the regional title this weekend. Of the times I’ve seen her play, this was the first time I saw her take over the match live, in a very similar fashion as when she took over the libero jersey during her freshman campaign at Avon. Her relentlessness in pursuit on defense, added with a no-quit attitude produces a libero recruit that is unquestionably ready for the next level.

One of three potential liberi on this roster, Stella has been wearing the special jersey at Avon since her freshman year, and worn it well. She takes long strides to get to where the ball is, will hit the floor when necessary, and always makes a settable pass out of that first contact. That relentless work ethic, coupled with a lack of fear when sacrificing her body, makes for a top-notch libero for the next level.

You would be hard pressed to find a more scrappy, competitive and driven libero in the state of Indiana than Hamood. Besides the insanely talented Cala Haffner Cala Haffner 5'8" | DS/L Carroll | 2028 State IN , Stella is the tippy-tops in the state of Indiana for DS’s in the class of ’28. She brings a huge confidence boost to the floor for her team when she plays, as well as being the needed energy leader you expect from a high class libero; there is never a ball that Stella isn’t willing to get. Avon should be solid this season and I expect Hamood to be a LARGE part of that at the libero position. As we get closer to June 15, 2026, look for this young defensive player and all-American to get a LOT of interest from high level D1 programs.

Stella Hamood is a defensive specialist/libero for Circle City 15 Purple who have been one of the top teams in the 15s division all season.  The key to this team is their extremely tight ball control which is led by Hamood.  As a libero, Hamood has quite the range and control where she can cover quite the territory while keeping a calm platform to send it to her setter to run the show.  This offense has quite the tempo and always seem to be in system.  She is in a gym environment where they have trained some of the best liberos and outsides who can serve receive in the game.  Will be fun to see her live again on June 7. 

It didn’t take long last fall for Stella to wrest the reins of the libero jersey away from its previous owner at Avon. Solid in serve receive and energetic on defense, Stella has already understood the assignment required to wear the special jersey in the last eight months. Her footwork might be a tad busy for upper level libero play, but for now, her controlled platform is repeatable and consistent for her squad. I’m looking forward to Stella’s development as next fall approaches.

Much like Groninger, Hamood is an absolutely essential part of this elite level Open squad. What really stands out to me most about Stella’s game as just a freshman, is the way in which she leads the back court. She is the libero you want in the back, controlling the defense and making things run smoothly. Her confidence is unmatched at her age in this position and when you combine it with her defensive skillset, you have a player who is just flat out fun to watch! Hamood is calm in serve receive, all over the place on defense, ALWAYS working to cover every hitter, vocal throughout the match and never misses a chance to celebrate her teammates kills. If you need a freshman libero to keep your eye on, now you have her.